Matches and Salt
by chronicelephants
Summary: Dean has around 10 months left to live, and all he wants to do is send as many demons back to hell before he ends up there himself. Though, that all changes when Bobby introduces them to a girl who claims to be their sister.
1. Chapter 1

A/N This starts around the beginning of series 3. It'll probably have it's own story arcs, but mostly go along with the shows. There will also be eventual Destiel.

CHAPTER ONE.

It all started with a phone call from Bobby.

"Bobby, we're in the middle of a case!" Dean argued, stranding back to back with Sam in a haunted house they had seen too many times on the current hunt, his phone in one hand, a gun with bullets full of rock salt in the other and a clear idea of where the body was buried in the garden out back.

"This isn't a case Dean, this is different" Bobby shot back. "I'm on my up to you" He told him, hanging up just as Dean saw the ghost – he aimed his gun and shot, before both brothers ran through the house and kicked in the back door, and ran into the garden.

On the way back to the Motel, the brothers got into another fight over the fact Dean still only had ten months to live and they were doing nothing to try and break the deal. As usual, Dean insisted that he couldn't be saved before refusing to say anything else, turning up the radio and looking straight ahead – refusing eye contact with Sam, making sure he had the last word.

Bobby was already waiting for them when they reached their room, sat on the edge of the bed Dean had claimed – behind him laid a teenage girl, no older than 20. "So what's so important apart from a case that you had to drive all way up here?" Dean asked – ignoring the obvious clue, Bobby motioned to the sleeping girl.

"Scarlett Winchester, that's what…or who" He told them. "She's your sister, eighteen years old, been trying to track you down for the last five months"

Both brothers stood there in silence. "…We don't have a sister" Sam pointed out; he turned to Dean for conformation on the fact, but his older brother just stood staring at the girl. Eventually, he snapped out of it and shook his head in agreement.

"We definitely do not have a sister, I think Dad would of told us if we did" Dean said, both Sam and Bobby looked at him with raised eyebrows, causing the older brother to roll his eyes.

"Dean, I've had her in a devils trap, dunked her in holy water, cut her with silver, chanted how many exorcisms – she's definitely human, and she definitely knows who you are" Bobby listen. Both brothers considered it for a moment.

"Maybe she's just some creepy stalker" Dean suggested with a small shrug.

"If she was your stalker, she probably wouldn't have been trying to track you down for five months" Bobby replied, his arms crossed. Suddenly, they heard a soft groan and looked over to the bed. Scarlett rubbed her eyes, before lifting herself up on her elbows and spotting Sam and Dean, then sitting up fully.

Both brothers tried to avoid what they obviously both were thinking. Apart from the brown hair that was hardly secured in the side plait she styled over her right shoulder – the striking appearance to their Mother. She blinked a few times before fixing her stare on them.

"Nope, she's not ours" Dean claimed, Scarlett rolled her eyes, mumbling something like 'knew it' under her breath.

"I don't know, Dean" Sam said, studying her. Dean spun round and looked at Sam as if he was a complete idiot. "Where are you from?"

"San Diego, of course I spend five months looking for you and then you end up a five hour drive from where I lived" Scarlett complained. Sam tilted his head back a little, thinking – Dean carried on staring at him.

"About, nineteen years ago. Dad went on one of his longer hunts to San Diego, didn't come back for about 3 weeks. Helping a woman out with a ghost" Funnily, Dean wouldn't have remembered unless it hadn't of been one of the times he left them alone over Christmas.

"When's your birthday?" Dean asked.

"27th of September" Scarlett answered, wondering why her birth date mattered when they or at least, just Dean wouldn't accept the fact they were related. "I have my official birth certificate" She added.

"Does it have our name on it?" Dean replied, sounding unnecessarily harsh – annoyed that this was adding up.

"I only found out you existed a little under a year ago, I know your Dad did though" She revealed, crossing her arms defensively.

"Did Dad…visit you?" Sam asked, Scarlett shook her head – her expression suddenly changing, her eyes seemed to go darker; full of anger and sadness.

"No, he drove my Mum crazy…literally. Left before she could tell him she was pregnant, un-traceable" Scarlett said, her voice sounding almost sarcastic. She decided to turn her attention to the hem of her oversized jumper, fiddling with it.

"Yeah, well, he had to sons to look after" Dean replied in a snarky tone, Sam shot him a warning glance and Scarlett looked up.

"I see that now" She said, narrowing her eyes. Bobby rolled his eyes at their bickering. Dean went silent, Sam stood in front of Scarlett – trying to figure her out. "Listen. I know it's kind of unbelievable – but do you really think I'd let Bobby cut my arm open with an iron knife if I was a demon?" She asked, rolling up her sleeve and revealing a bandage which covered the majority of her lower arm and was stained red. "Hurt like a bitch" She mumbled, covering it back up with the sleeve and wincing at the pain.

"Listen boys, I got in touch with Ellen – she told me that your Dad came visiting after a hunt in San Diego, got a bit too drunk and started rambling on about some woman he met who looked just like your Mother" Bobby told them, Dean pulled a chair from the table and sat down on it – staring at Scarlett before sighing and putting his head in his hands.

Scarlett gave her brothers a pleading look, and then perked up a little. "If it helps, I might have a hunt for you" She mentioned. Dean looked up, his face telling her to go on.

"Where I used to work, there's been a series of mysterious disappearances" She started, but stopped at the look Sam and Dean gave her – she rolled her eyes yet again, knowing what they were thinking. "I know how you guys work okay? That isn't the full story. These girls have been leaving the building, every Thursday for the last three weeks, at exactly 10:07pm – my boss, he swore he saw black eyes on each of them as they walked out after checking the security tapes; plus, traces of sulphur" She explained, finishing with a slight smirk. Both brothers looked at each other and raised their eyes.

Sam considered it, Dean still couldn't get over that he had a sister – if she was telling the truth that was. She wasn't a demon, or anything else they had hunted – she was human. But, even if she was human…it didn't mean she was telling the truth.

But the resemblance to their Mum, to him, to Sam – it was almost terrifying. The only thing that looked out of place was her bright blue eyes, instead of either brown or green. "It's a five hour drive, like I said" Scarlett said.

"It's worth checking out, I guess" Sam replied with a shrug, still sounding unsure. He turned to Dean, who he was expecting to kick up a big fuss and try to kick Scarlett out and do their best to never see her again – but Dean just looked from his brother, to Scarlett.

"If we go now we can get there for sun rise" He said, jumping up and pulling his jacket from over the back of the chair. "Bobby, you joining us?" He asked, the smile he was wearing an obvious fake.

"No, I've got some business to do" Bobby told them, picking up the keys to his car and giving Scarlett a reassuring pat on the shoulder before walking over to Dean. "Give her a chance" he whispered to the eldest brother.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two.**

Scarlett followed them out the hotel and into the parking lot. "You look exhausted" Sam mentioned to her, she hid a strand of hair behind her ear and as if on cue – yawned.

"I hadn't had a decent sleep in five months – Bobby's been forcing sleep on me, I still haven't caught up I guess" As if on cue, she yawned – stopping mid yawn when she caught sight of the Impala. "That is one awesome car"

Dean tried his hardest not to smirk at the complement. "You still have to sit in the back seat, and I'm in control of the music" He ordered. Scarlett shrugged and climbed in, not bothering to put her seatbelt on. Both brothers followed, Dean in the driver's seat and Sam in the passenger's almost simultaneously.

Sam turned round to Scarlett in the back seat; "Maybe you should get some sleep…" He suggested before noticing she already had her head rested against the window and her eyes closed. Dean had turned to her too.

"Now, isn't that adorable" Dean said sarcastically, turning back and pulling out of the parking lot; Sam looked over to him and rolled his eyes.

"Dude, she can't be our sister" Dean said after fifteen minutes of driving, sure that Scarlett was asleep. "I mean, look at her – she looks nothing like us"

"Dean, you were thinking the exact same thing I was when we saw her. The resemblance to Mum is…undeniable and if anyone knows that – it's you" Sam replied, Dean did the same as he had when they had been arguing the last time; kept his eyes on the road and didn't reply. For ten minutes at least.

"But even if she is our sister, and she knows what we do – why would she come looking for us? I mean, anything what she has back home has got to be better than this!" He whispered, motioning around to Impala before gripping the steering wheel again. Sam looked over to his brother, wondering if he'd listened to anything that had been said in the Motel room – about her Mother being insane, and Dad never visiting once. He didn't bother mentioning it, anyway. "Where are we heading, anyway" Dean asked, realising he was currently just on the highway that lead to San Diego's city boarder.

"Fallbrook, San Diego – do you guys not have a sat nav?" Scarlett suddenly said, making both brothers jump -unaware she was awake. Sam pulled a map from the glove box and Dean grimaced.

"Dean doesn't like the idea of being told what to do by a talking box" Sam replied, smirking. Dean looked over to his little brother and just glared. He was still wondering if Scarlett had heard what they had been saying. Sam located Fallbrook on the map, and Scarlett had drifted off the sleep again.

They didn't say anything else; eventually Dean figured where he was going and told Sam that he should get some sleep. As he drove along the silent highway, he kept catching sight of Scarlett in the rear view mirror – her head lent against the Impala window, not looking even the tiniest bit comfortable.

He turned up the radio slightly, singing along to the words quietly. Time passed quickly, soon enough it was 5am and the sun was starting to rise – he'd entered San Francisco around twenty minutes ago. Sam was still fast asleep, but as he glanced in the rear view mirror once again he saw Scarlett was wide awake and staring out the window. "We'll be there in about thirty minutes" Dean told her, she didn't reply, just nodded. She didn't look too happy about being back home, but Dean stayed quiet.

They stopped off at a diner that was opening up; Scarlett climbed out of the car and straightened her jumper as Dean shook Sam awake. The boy who was turning the sign on the door from 'closed' to 'open' spotted Scarlett, and widened his eyes. "Winchester! Long time no see!" He yelled, Scarlett smiled – and walked into the arms of her old friend. Dean and Sam had both gotten out of the car, and watched. "Who's ya friends?" The boy asked.

Sam at least forced a smile as Scarlett turned to them both. "They're not exactly friends…" Dean used all his willpower from mumbling '_that's true' _"they're my brothers"

This didn't seem to faze the boy; he kept his hands on Scarlett's arms and looked from her to the brothers. "You didn't tell me you had brothers"

"Louis, to tell you the truth; I didn't know until about a year back" Scarlett said with a slight smile. Louis shivered realising how cold it was.

"You better come in, breakfast is on the house" Louis yelled, making sure Dean and Sam heard – the thought of free food made Dean perk up a little. And they followed Scarlett and Louis in, taking a seat in one of the booths. Dean and Sam just ordered coffee, Scarlett ordered a hot chocolate.

"So where do you work?" Sam asked, Scarlett took a sip of her drink and bit her lip – unsure of what exactly to tell them.

"Some club, just round the corner actually" She said, knowing she sounded unsure. "My boss knew I was into this kind of stuff, he's too superstitious for his own good" She explained. "He's out of town for a few days, hid the keys to the club for me…the police aren't doing anything"

The brothers looked at each other. Then looked to Scarlett.

They ended up sitting in silence while they finished the drink. Eventually, Louis came and slipped into the booth beside Scarlett. "So are you back for good?" He asked. Scarlett looked up from her drink, her head rested on one hand. She glanced over to Sam and Dean, especially Dean. Sam had already kicked his older brother under the table to stop him saying anything.

"Probably not, we'll go out for dinner before I leave town again?" Louis nodded with a slight smile at her offer. We should probably get going" Scarlett suggested, Sam and Dean agreed – Louis slid back out of the booth to let them pass.

Scarlett and the waiter shared another small hug before she left the diner. She walked ahead of her brothers, who shared awkward looks as they followed. After five minutes they found themselves outside what was obviously a strip club.

"_Asmodeus?" _Dean asked, looking at the club's sign. Scarlett shrugged and lead them around the back of the club to the back door. Outside the door was a plant plot, in the soil was a small cardboard sign showing the name of the plant. Scarlett crouched down and took out the piece of cardboard, and created a small hole in the soil where it used to be – suddenly pulling out a small, silver key.

Scarlett unlocked the door, and carefully walked in – feeling the wall for the lights. Suddenly, Sam and Dean were faced with a strip club that looked a lot more lavish inside than the crumbly building it looked like outside. "So…you were a waitress here?" Dean wondered with raised eyebrows, spinning around on his heels for a real look at the club.

"You could say that" Scarlett replied, looking down.

"Think you could introduce me to some of your friends" He hinted, winking. Scarlett looked over to him.

"If they're still alive, yeah"


End file.
